Newcastle United - A Big Club?

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Hi folks.

Interested to hear peoples HONEST opinion here on Newcastle and what your view on them is?

Just been having a debate with Jesus who is a fan and he claims they are a big club due to their crowd and their spending.

I think the opposite and its just the fans who feel they are.

[Bigkegman]

got to agree - they've got a big following and loyal supporters but that doesn't make them a big club.

Blackburn won the league and that was through money imo and they aren't a big club either.

Agree with you Kiko

[mrmuzeman]

Not to detract from this thread but there wasa good thread about big clubs before. No doubt that had some Newcastle talk in it at some point

http://www.thedailypunt.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=14774

[ONEDUNME]

That's the funniest thread I've read for ages. I think you'll find big clubs usually win things. Teams who's major ambition at the start of the season is to finish in the top half of the table are not big clubs. An endless supply of people who are stupid enough to pay to watch them play shit football, whilst very admirable, is not enough to make them a big club.

Fuckin big club

[ONEDUNME]

Just reading that thread and spotted Seen's comment..

Sunderland are a deceased big club. A 'dead giant'. They are no more.

[Run Dmc Vs Pat Nevin]

Pains me to say it, but there are only four big clubs in England at the moment: Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool & Arsenal.

Big clubs win or are in contention to win trophies every year.

[munkimafia]

The answer at the moment would have to be no as I would see as big team as one who has ambitions to reach the latter stages of European competition not one who merely hopes to qualify.With the right board and management though they could potentially become a big club.

[ONEDUNME]

Originally Posted by munkimafia

.With the right board and management though they could potentially become a big club.

Which is what they've been saying for the last fifty years - Which is why they aren't yet (and never have been) a big club.

As you say, maybe one day.

[FC Basher]

A big club attract big players,Newcastle cant do that,players will always choose the big clubs first before Newcastle and even if they were lucky enough to make a big player singing they would stuggle to keep him.Example Spurs got Berbatov hes a star any big club comes in for him Hes gonna walk like Carrick did,that to me says were not a big club like Newcastle.

[rene]

10-0 at the moment that they aren´t a big club .. :wasntme

[all_funkt_up]

Newcastle currently get decent gates, that doesnt make them a 'big' club in the purest sense. I suppose it depends on how you term a "big club". What are your criteria for example? For me, you have to take into consideration the attendance, league titles, european honours and famous players. For me they just dont cut it.

Just because they have spent money for the last 10 years on so-called big name players (Dyer, Bramble, Boumsong, Asprilla, Luque etc) it doesnt make them a big club. When it comes to transfers, they fight over the left overs and also rans. They have bought a load of overpriced mis-fits and successive managers have haemoraged Fat Freddy's cash. That doesnt put them on a par with European greats like Ajax, Milan and Barca. Geordie C*nts.

They've also won fuck all for the best part of 50 years and even before then, they were known as a cup team. They have never dominated football either home or abroad and therefore cant be termed a big club.

I would say you have 1 or 2 genuinely big clubs from each country, if that. For me, the following cut the mustard:

Liverpool, Manchester United, Milan, Ajax, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, Juventus

[Wittmann 44]

Liverpool, ffice:smarttags" />Manchester United, Milan, Ajax, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, Juventus

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Why would you exclude Chelsea and Arsenal AFU? Under any yardstick Arsenal wold have to feature IMO. Chelsea I am less sure about as there is the sneaky feeling it could disappear in the air very easily. If one criterion is recent League winners then Liverpool have not been a big club for years. Ajax have not been a big club in Europe for a decade and the way money is going probably never will be again. How about Lyons dominance in France and their recent creditable performances in the CL? What about South American clubs like Corinthians?

In my view a club can be a big club and over the course of time cease to be a big club. In England you have Leeds recently and going back a bit further your Blackpools and Preston North Ends.

Football has undergone massive changes in the last decade especially with huge influxes of TV money and the freedom of player movement unleashed by the Bosman rule. It is almost impossible to gatecrash the elite without the backing of a billionaire behind you now. With that in mind my criterion for being a big club now would be –

Won their domestic league at least once in the last decade or
Contested the Final of the Champions League at least once in the last decade;

and

Can spend over €10 Million Sterling on a single player purchase;
Has average home gates of over 40,000;

By that reckoning in England the top 4 would all qualify.

Re Newcastle my opinion is that there is no way they could be considered a “big” club. They have the potential to be a big club but its been unrealised for a very long time and with the Board they have unlikely to change significantly. If Alldardyce goes there they will be UEFA cup challengers next season and have a decent cup run. Anything beyond that needs a change at the very top.

[all_funkt_up]

Originally Posted by Wittmann 44

Why would you exclude Chelsea and Arsenal AFU?

Form is temporary, class is permanant.

That is why clubs like Ajax are included. To exclude them in favour of Arsenal because of what they have achieved under Wenger would be criminal.

Arsenal - 1 European Cup Final

Ajax - 3 times winners

[all_funkt_up]

Originally Posted by Wittmann 44

Won their domestic league at least once in the last decade or

Contested the Final of the Champions League at least once in the last decade;

and

Can spend over €10 Million Sterling on a single player purchase;
Has average home gates of over 40,000;

By that reckoning in England the top 4 would all qualify.

I would be slighty picker with who I admit to the all time elite.

As and when Chelsea win the Champions League and then go on to win it again and show real dominance and pedigree, then yeah fine they're a big club.

Until then, they are no more worthy than Dortmund or Schalke for example.

[all_funkt_up]

Chelsea arent even in G14, which is supposed to represent the "big" clubs.